Brilliant lacquered ware & many beautiful tea bowls are in stock!
Spring has sprung in Japan. Sakura cherry trees gradually bloom in my area. The weather gets warm as well and more comfortable. Next month, Sakura would bloom fully. I drove my car this week and went to an antique market to look for hanging scrolls. The location is Okayama this time too, but the market is a different market from the last one. During the trip to the market, I enjoyed viewing Sakura through the window of the car. It made me relax in preparation for the coming battle. Well, to make a long story short, I didn't get many hanging scrolls. Instead of it, I obtained exquisite lacquered ware and many tea bowls. Please let me allow you to introduce some of them.
Gold lacquered Makie Suzuri Buta
The name of this lacquered ware is very unique and interesting. Originally, Suzuri means inkstone, Buta means lid. In short, it means lid of inkstone. As you can see, it is clearly not the one for an inkstone, just a tray or a stand for putting something. Why does it call Suzuri Buta? It is considered that Suzuri buta was always put beside people when they write something with ink and then gradually they come to putting fruits, flowers, sweets, and meal etc. It is believed to have been in use since 1700. Because it was also used as a stand for a snack for the host to serve to guests at tea ceremonies, many of the decorations are very sophisticated and beautiful. Hawk on the pine tree is splendidly depicted, the technique is Makie. Makie is one of the representative decorative techniques of lacquer craft. A picture or pattern is drawn in lacquer, and before the lacquer hardens, makie powder (gold, silver etc) is sprinkled on the surface to adhere and decorate it. The name "makie" comes from the fact that the lacquer is sprinkled (Maku = Maki) with powder to create a picture. Makie is one of the techniques of lacquerware and is known for its gorgeous beauty.
Gold lacquered Raden Inkstone Box depicted iris flower
This inkstone box is also decorated with a gold lacquered technique and it is very beautiful. The flower of the iris by the water is depicted with elegance. I would like you to look at the top of the flower.
You can see the decoration of rainbow colors. That is Raden technique. Raden is a decorative technique used mainly in traditional crafts such as lacquerware and obi belts. Raden is a technique to express patterns and designs by thinly polishing the beautiful, iridescent inner part of a shell. Raden has a long history and was introduced to Japan around the 9th century and flourished during the Nara and Heian periods. Created slowly over time at the bottom of the sea, it is truly a jewel of nature. The raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) technique is not a thing of the past and is still loved by people today. The luster of these shells is created by craftsmen who take the charm of the shells to the extreme to match the work. Raden inlay is created with advanced and delicate human skills.
E-Shino tea bowl
E-shino is a type of Shino ware. A simple pictorial pattern is painted with iron pigments under an opaque white glaze. It looks like grass or a vine. No, it may be a dragon. It is a simple picture, so it give us imagination. Shino ware (Shino-yaki) is Japanese pottery, usually stoneware, originally from Mino Province, in present-day Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is identified by thick white glazes, red scorch marks, and a texture of small holes. It is characterized by a gentle milky white color, with a reddish fire color visible on areas such as the rim where the glaze is less applied, and a beauty similar to white or celadon porcelain, but with a gentle warmth.
Aka Raku tea bowl Kaga Koetsu style, made by Sasaki Shoraku, titled by Daitoku-ji Matsunaga Gozan
The tea bowl is Aka Raku (Red Raku). The red color is obtained by applying a clay called ochre, which has a high iron content. Akaraku is made at a firing temperature of about 800℃. Raku ware is made by a method called tezukune, in which the potter's wheel is not used, but only hands and a spatula are used to form the pieces. The origin of this method dates back to the latter half of the 16th century. It was created by Chojiro, the first generation of the Raku family, under the guidance of Sen no Rikyu. It expresses the beauty of nature, subtle distortion, and randomness that cannot be expressed by symmetry. Shoraku Sasaki is a Raku ware potter from Kyoto, Japan. It is titled by Gozan Matsunaga of Daitoku-ji temple monk. The title is Fuki. Fuki stands for peony and also means wealth and honors.This handmade tea bowl is a style of the "Kaga Koetsu" created by Honami Koetsu.
Ninsei style tea bowl
He was a potter of the early Edo period. His works were graceful, beautiful, and flamboyant. The beauty of his works transcends time, and even today, there is a sense of wonder that is not old-fashioned. Today's potters respect him and create Ninsei utsushi / Ninsei style pieces based on the concept of his works.
Next time, I would like to introduce paintings if I could obtain good ones. Thank you so much. Have a great day!
Kind regards,